"There's going to be snowy areas, there's going to be hot springs, there's going to be grasslands, there's going to be cityscapes, there's going to be volcanic rim areas - desert areas, of course. You name the colour. We kept the art team very busy."

Gibson also stated that the variety extends to the enemies, adding: "We wanted it to feel like even when you're travelling through one particular zone that the style of combat you engage constantly changes. It's not just a constant, 'Here's this one enemy, here's how I defeat him, I'm just going to do this for two hours'.

"All of the enemies have their own reactions and their own attack styles. It's much more diverse now."

Borderlands 2 will be available for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC in September 2012.